Iceland-based seafood processing company Valka has hired Kim André Gabrielsen, formerly of Lerøy Norway Seafoods, as its new sales manager for Nordic countries.
Gabrielsen, who served most recently as the director of operations at Norwegian Fish Company, has extensive experience dealing with Norway’s seafood sector, Valka said. Prior to his work with Norwegian Fish Company, Gabrielsen also acted at the technical director for Lerøy Norway Seafoods and as a director for a different Norwegian whitefish production company.
“It is a great asset for Valka to get Kim as our new sales manager in Norway as he has long term experience and knowledge in the seafood industry in Norway, which will be very valuable for us as our company continues to grow in the region,” said Kristján Rúnar Kristjánsson, Valka‘s director in Norway, in a press release.
Valka confirmed that Gabrielsen has already started working with its team in Norway.
A high-tech company, Valka designs and builds progressive systems for groundfish and salmon processing companies using state-of-the-art techniques and devices. The firm seeks to help seafood processors “create value through automation, with improved accuracy, by minimizing waste and maximizing the yield to highest value products,” it explained. In 2011, Valka introduced one of its leading products: a fully automated pin-bone and portion-cutting line that uses X-ray technology for locating fish bones and water-jet robots to accurately portion fillets. The company showcased the cutter at the 2019 Seafood Processing Global in May in Brussels, Belgium.
Photo courtesy of Valka
